Feature

“Why The *%# Are They Famous??”

Monday Nov 9, 2009 – By Sky Obercam

A celebrity is a famous person.
A famous person is one who has a widespread reputation usually of a favorable nature.
A star is a person who is celebrated or distinguished in some art, profession, or other field…

—-
So – some may ask – how is it that an increasing number of “celebrities”, who possess no discernable talent, manage to obtain a lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous? Millions of people who are even vaguely familiar with pop culture are perplexed by the heightened celebrity status bestowed upon those whose fame stems from activities once considered obscure, vulgar, or unflinchingly trifling – and completely devoid of what is commonly referred to as talent.

One wonders if 25 years ago or more, talent agencies would’ve considered taking on clients who offered no on-screen talent or training whatsoever, instead, relying on tawdry marketing strategies to ensure notoriety. For example, game shows contestants stayed in their respective lanes, and the only place you may find a former contestant was in your local mall or supermarket. Now, these contestants and other ‘non-scripted’ show participants seek to use their 15 minutes as a portal to create a whole freakin’ hour.

Sex sells for men and women alike, but for 99% of female celebs, sex appeal has always been paramount. Upon reflection however, those whose roots originated in (and failed to deviate from) X-rated activities, thrived in their own genre. Nowadays, it appears as though the lines are blurred, and women who would’ve reigned freely within the confines of the adult entertainment world are able to carve out tenuous careers in the mainstream. On the other end of the spectrum exist “the awkward” bunch who are willing to exploit their own eccentricities for the sake of prolonged media attention.

What fuels this phenomenon? Is it an insatiable need for attention? The media’s habit of nurturing the sensational rather than the substantive? The jury is still out on this convoluted debate. So we took a survey, which lists alleged “no talent” notables that receive far too much air time. Each of the celebs listed below falls under one or more of the following categories: pornographic; general opportunist; nepotism; gimmick. Take a guess as to who’s who in each category:

Amber Rose
Karrine Steffans
The Kardashian Sisters
Paris Hilton
Nicole Richie
Soulja Boy
Kevin Federline
Most popular reality show contestants
All Flavor of Love contestants
Nick Cannon
Teyana Taylor
Rumer Willis

The findings of the survey were intended to uncover the perspectives of concerned readers, and are by no means presented as irrefutable facts. As an online magazine, we are aware that new media is a major factor in the rise of the 15 minute famous set. The bigger issue at hand is the long-term impact this new trend will have on our society. What happens when newscasts become gossip – or scandal trumps talent and cheapness obliterates creativity? For starters, it may manifest in two media-crazed parents staging a hoax involving their missing son weather balloon…

fp_2028870_kardashian_kim_fre_032409

No matter how you slice it, the fact is that a good deal of these so called ‘skill-free’ stars not only permeate the media, but have an avid fan base to boot. At the end of the day, that may be all it takes to be on top. Either that or one damn good publicist.

So, what say you Clutchettes and Gents? Why in the freak are ‘they’ famous? We’d like to hear your thoughts on this speculative issue.

Nyko Ongawa says:

November 9, 2009 at 4:43 am

The only reason why I like Kim Kardashian is because she has the same body type as mine and I want my newly curved frame to resemble it.

↑ Reply

Emmy says:

November 9, 2009 at 8:36 am

Teyana Taylor is a choreographer of some sort, I think she didn’t “Ring The Alarm”…and Souljah Boy hustled and hustled and worked harder than most of his critics to get where he is. He’s actually quite admirable, ignorance aside. And he’s only what…18?

Frankie Kate says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:14 am

Hi Emmy, do you know if teyana taylor’s hair is real… saw her on super sweet sixteen and just thought she’s so unique… thanks

November 9, 2009 at 8:37 am

I’m sorry, in my previous post I meant I think she DID

LAUGHING OUT LOUD says:

November 13, 2009 at 11:48 pm

her hair is not real. I saw it on some website, its weave

opinionatednyc says:

November 9, 2009 at 9:01 am

They are famous because, in an nternet age where people want instant news/gossip to satiate their boredom, this D-list, non-celebs can fill the blog sites on slow news days by putting themselves in some “contrived” situation that a real celebrity wouldn’t. And these D-listers are happy to oblige.

LAUGHING OUT LOUD says:

November 13, 2009 at 11:52 pm

Basically they all famous cuz they spread there legs. The girls are fucking anybody and letting there bodies be on display for anyone to lust over. N Kevin Fedline the same, he messed with Brittany so now he famous. Basically dumb reasons. American is now praising sluts and hoes. Im not that religious but isn’t this like those 2 countries in the bible did before god destroyed them??

thinkpink says:

November 9, 2009 at 9:31 am

I don’t understand why Nick Cannons on that list. He has been working as a comedian for quite a long time. He was on a very popular show called “All That” on Nickelodeon. Many of his costars, kenan thompson and amanda bynes, acheived success from being on that show as well.

Bianca says:

November 9, 2009 at 9:53 am

I would say that Nick Cannon and Soulja Boy should not be included on this list. I agree with Emmy; ignorance aside he still worked to get what he now has. Teyanna……she acutally has talent but has done much that the public knows.

Joe says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:06 am

I agree on Nick Cannon and Soulja Boy. Annoying they may be, but they do have skills.

D says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:13 am

I agree as well regarding the comments about Nick Cannon. As much as he irritates me, he is famous because of his hard work and determination. He was a producer/director on Nickelodeon for many years and is currently a VP there as well. He actually did some work. Soulja Boy as well. Even though he lacks talent, he has put in work to get to where he is today. The rest of the list, is right on point, especially in regards to Amber Rose & Karrine Steffans.

Gia says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:55 am

I agree with everyone on the list. Nick Cannon is a roided up gigolo and Soulja Boy is a buffon. Ya’ll remember what he said about being happy about slavery? Nasty.

Get Togetha says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:03 pm

I think it’s a generational thing. Not that I’m old. LMAO!

The idea of what talent means to this generation has broadened. No longer is it the obvious of “acting, singing, dancing, writing” it now means “your beauty brand, your body type, how much you are willing to allow the camera to permeate your personal life, and how hard you can hustle to stay in the limelight.” Is it inch deep? Vapid? Perhaps. But that’s the way things are. The question i have is that how long can shallow pool talent last? Do fly by niters really have sustainability? Longevity?

The quicker you become famous the easier it is for you to become disposable.

She’s Talent is now really the art of getting as many eyes (and attention) to focus on the object which is (you, it, they, them); as much as possible. The main difference is that there’s not such thing as good or bad compliment. If their names are in your mouth then they’re a success.

maria says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:13 pm

I’m still trying to figure out why Paris is famous. She’s getting up there in age now and I’m hoping will go poof at some point. Same thing with Nicole Richie, although I think she’s funny and cute. The Kardashian Sisters.. I have nothing good to say about them so I’ll be quiet. I’m guilty of loving D status celebs. I watched every damn episode of Flavor of Love LOL

Nikia says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:55 pm

it may have been said already but why is nick cannon in the list? This man prior to even MEETING mariah, had a career….Love Dont Cost a Thing, Drumline and a few other movies. Not to mention Wylin’OUT on MTV that lasted several seasons…he even did music all prior to meeting ms.carey so how he is in the list is beyond me…

Shayna says:

I dont think Soulja Boy, Teyana Taylor, & Nick Cannon should be on the list.
Soulja Boy is young hustled his ass off online and puttin his music out there….not a fan of all his music but a bit of it is aight..
Teyana Taylor it look like she dont do shit, but the girl can dance her ass off & she can really sing too…but i dont think shes hustlin hard enough cuz not everybody knows that about her.
Nick Cannon, I cant stand his annoying ass, but he has been in movies, and he had his own show & he’s producing…as much as i think hes corny, hes doin somethin…
everyone else on the list needs to KICK ROCKS. esp. the ones that be on the reality dating shows cuyz all they doing is showin the world that they want an easy meal ticket, i mean come on why would you wana be known as (insert ghetto name here) from the Flavor of Love show??????

Shayna says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:56 pm

I MEANT SHOULD NOT!!!

Bailey says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:59 pm

Nick Cannon irks me. So I agree with him being on the list. Also, Soujah boy has no talent so the question is why did he get famous! For stupid raps. Loved the list.

Susan says:

November 9, 2009 at 1:01 pm

Ha! I love the fake celebs listed. Nick is not funny so to see his name finally gave me a chuckle, which he can’t do.

Olivia says:

November 9, 2009 at 1:45 pm

I think they bridge the gap between the super famous and regular people. People can relate to them more than they can to someone who has already come into fame. For example what was so intriguing about the Karrine Stefans story was that she was a regular girl giving first hand accounts about men we “wonder” about rather than the story coming from someone else that is famous. It made fame or infamy in her case appear more accessible than had the story been told by someone who was already in the limelight. In the case of the so-called socialites I think it has always been the case that these kinds of people were media fodder even as far back as the 1920’s when people such as Madame CJ Walker’s daughter A’lelia were the talk of the town, not because she was an awesome business woman like her mother but because she was a socialite and had access to great wealth and mixed with the who’s who of the day. I think regular folk who work a regular 9-5 enjoy watching the lives of the rich and the famous/infamous because they can live vicariously through these people by keeping abreast with their lives, going to places they go and dressing the way they dress. It makes people feel like “If I dress like her, walk like her, party like her then I must be as fabulous as her.” This is why some of these no-discripts can start shoe lines, clothing lines etc and actually do very well.

Jamine says:

November 9, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Can we put Rhianna on the list and Beyonce.

lalah says:

November 9, 2009 at 2:46 pm

It’s all own who you know, and who you associate yourself with.

Kris says:

November 9, 2009 at 3:25 pm

I find it funny how those who say Nick Cannon and Soulja Boy should be on the list have NO discernible evidence as to why. Saying Nick Cannon shouldn’t be famous is clearly ignoring the fact that he helped put NICKELODEON on the map, as well as headline three seasons of his own show. Say what you want, but Wild-N-Out had more than its share of funny moments. And Drumline and Love Don’t Cost A Thing didn’t necessarily suck.

As for SB, I personally think he’s poison. But you CANNOT deny that dude got skills. Think about it: He exploded on the scene through Youtube alone as a teenager. Not something that just anybody can do. Everybody just KNEW he was a one-hit wonder. But what has he done since? Produce hits. You may not like them. I sure as hell don’t like ‘em…but to say he has no talent is a reach, at best.

Res says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:09 pm

don’t agree with Nick Cannon, Teyanna Taylor, or Nicole Richie being on the list for all of the aforementioned reasons. As for Nicole, she is not famous for being talented; however she is a gifted musician.

Rosa says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:46 pm

Nick Cannon? Really?? you lost me with this one!

Take a look at this site http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134244/
he has been acting (lately more independant movies), writing , producing, executive producing, directing and what not. He is tne host of “america got talent” the n°1 summer show (avg 12-13 millions per show), this year final was follow by more than 17 millions people and on top of that he run TEENick!

And you put this successfull and positive young man with the like of Amber rose and karine steffans? hummmmmm!

Nikki says:

November 10, 2009 at 12:50 am

Is this article serious??? Who didnt do their research? Nick Cannon, Teyanna Taylor, Souljah Boy ( and a few others)??? Nick Cannon is the biggest shocker while he may be corny he has many business ventures, is a comedian, and does a lot behind the scenes and makes way more money than people can imagine. Now Souljah Boy, hey Im not a fan, but is he not an artist and a song writer? hhhmmmmm

November 10, 2009 at 12:51 am

Thank you Rosa!!!…this article gets the >>>side eye lol

Shani Anona says:

November 10, 2009 at 1:34 am

Interesting article. What I’m noticing is that it doesn’t take talent to be famous nowadays. If you are beautiful, flaunt your body, nude or do a sex-tape, you can become a paparazzi sensation. Pitiful!

Famous for being famous | Signature9 UK says:

November 10, 2009 at 9:16 am

[...] Read the full story {clutchmagonline} Share this Email This Post Retweet on Facebook [...]

Madame Q says:

November 10, 2009 at 10:20 am

We make them famous by talking about them via blogging, facebook, myspace or twitter. The more we talk, the more popular they’ll be no matter if people respect them or not.

J. Mack says:

November 10, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Thank you so much for this article! I’ve been thinking the same thing lately. I don’t think Nick Cannon and Soulja Boy don’t belong on this list, but i’ve been trying to figure out why ppl such as Amber Rose, Karrine Steffans and random flavor of love stars are praised. These women are nothing but glorified hoes who grabbed onto the right celebrities to get their “shine”. One minute they’re making fools of themselves on TV and the next they’re in a famous rapper’s latest video and walking red carpet affairs.

I blame two reasons…One, we’re giving them way too much attention. We express interest in them and they become famous for it. And two our societal morals have changed. Now it’s okay to be praised for your body parts or who you’re sleeping with. You can litterally sex your way into stardom. No talent necessary. So aggravating…but it is what it is.

Oh So Chic says:

November 10, 2009 at 4:23 pm

Can you say sex tape?

Ta*Sh says:

November 10, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Actually I dont think Nick Cannon or Soulja Boy should be on there since they proved for the past couple of years they deserve to be called a celebrity. Nick Cannon was on All That from Nick, he played in about 3 or 4 movies, and he currently hosts America’s got talent. Soulja Boy is an artist simple as that. Teyana Taylor actually got her stardom by being on MTV’s sweet 16. She was already signed to Pharell’s label star Trek but used Sweet 16 as promotion to get her face out there. She only had one song google me, but her album is in the works. So until then she tries to stay relevant by attending parties and hanging around her celeb friends. She has choreographed Beyonce’s Ring The Alarm, has a lip gloss line Dope Lips to soon launch for the holidays and has been writing music for blackstreet and more. She also recently formed a rock group with Chris Brown.

Others on the list are clearly irrevelant and WE the people continue to feed into their nonsense that makes them who they are today. so the only question to ask is why do we constantly follow their D-List lives??

coins says:

November 10, 2009 at 8:44 pm

I disagree with Nick Cannon being on the list as well. He may not be winning an oscar any time soon but he’s been in enough movies and he holds his own. Time will tell whether he will grow as an actor and move into greater roles.

Half the people on that list are famous because they are related to fame. Somehow that gives them the opportunity to bask in the limelight. Frank Stallone is another good example. You visit his wikipedia page and it mentions he’s Sly’s brother. Yet you go to Sylvester Stallone’s page and Frank isn’t mentioned until a few paragraphs down when it talks about his family.

I would not want to be famous because of who I was related to. I’d have to do it on my own.

chiffon*kisses says:

November 11, 2009 at 7:58 pm

I don’t see anything wrong with being famous for “nothing.” So what? For those that desire fame, I would think it’s refreshing to know that achieving “celebrity” status can be done and is not some huge impossible task that is isolated to just a selective few individuals. Good for these people, they are living their dreams. Get in where ever you fit in, is how I see it….

At the same time, I strongly disagree with NIck Cannon, Soulja Boy and Teyana Taylor being on that list. Nick Cannon is a mini-mogul with his own entity he has maintained for quite some time. I respect him. Also, Soulja Boy deserves his fame; he has worked hard to get where he is. I remember back in the day when he was one of my fave underground artists. And, lastly, Teyana has had a hit song and has little projects all over the place. She has accomplished a lot for such a young woman. Kudos to her. I wish her much success.

Sandy says:

November 12, 2009 at 4:39 am

Nick Cannon famous for nothing?! really tho?! *confused*

oh well, its like he said not too long about all these haters clowning & underestimating him “I’m gonna go to the corny bank and cash these corny checks” bwahahaha

Sinnitta says:

November 12, 2009 at 5:09 am

Lmfbao people. It’s Club Nick Cannon up in heaah. Ridin that corny cat’s jock. He’s a fake celeb, can’t rap or act neither. Who cares he’s a business man, then keep his corny ass behind the camera.

It's Windy & I'm Cold! says:

November 13, 2009 at 9:01 am

I don’t care for Nick Cannon but to have him on the list is just straight up spiteful. And a word of advice Clutch, people stop being famous when other people stop talking about them. ;-)

Mona says:

November 13, 2009 at 6:27 pm

It’s funny that the title of the article is “Why are they famous” when many times you have had articles and fab or drabs about some of the above mentioned “celebrities” :-)

I learned about Amber Rose in this site, so I agree with “It’s Windy & I’m Cold”, as long as you talk about them you contribute to their “fame”.

Solgar says:

November 14, 2009 at 1:11 pm

They are famous because there is an agenda.

roni says:

November 14, 2009 at 11:27 pm

all of those individuals up there have some kind of warrant EXCEPT for amber rose. wtf? why is she famous I don’t know what she’s done; she’s supposedly a model.. I only seen her as a video hoe and that’s AFTER her & kanye was together..

reality show people, aren’t famous in my book. if they get recognized it’s because people recognize them. I’ve had “rabbit” host more than one of my parties and I still don’t know who the hell she is!

diannawest says:

November 15, 2009 at 1:04 pm

seriously you are part of making them famous all amber did was be in a video and walk down the street with kanye and blogs are obsessed with what shes wearing and is she gay and are they still together articles like this and anything ever printed about them made them famous. she could have been just been kanyes girl but the media as obsessed as they are had to find out her name if theres a sordid past and where did she come media helped to make them then wonders why thy are famous

Vonmiwi says:

November 19, 2009 at 8:47 pm

I don’t understand why Nick Cannon is on the list because the man has accomplished a lot before he married Mariah. And as for celebrities are listed as doing something as substantive, many have not and are just entertainers, we tend to celebrate the so called stars but dismiss those who play more important roles within our society, the professionals, doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Those are the ones we should be really celebrating. Too bad people don’t realise that Pop Culture works hand and hand with capitalism to play upon the insecurities of the masses by forcing celebrities down our throats on the regular.

Sexy Jess says:

December 3, 2009 at 10:45 pm

I agree with you on some levels. But I don’t agree with some of the people you listed as being nobodies that some how became famous. Teyana is a choregrapher, and has even produced songs for some artists that we love listening to (Beyonce included.) Nick Cannon has been in the spotlight for years. He started out on Nickelodean. Just because he hasn’t been doing much with himself lately doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be famous. Souljah Boy is a rap artist that we can get crunk with. People all over the world are “Super Mannin’ that ho” right now! LOL

A couple of the people (Paris, Nicole, the Kardashians) are famous because their parents are super rich and they were able to convince the TV producers that people would find their lives interesting…and CA-Ching…they were right!

As for the rest, people are interested in knowing the story behind their fave celebrities. They want to know what’s going on with them when the cameras aren’t rolling. Super Head gave us a glimse into that world. Kevin Federline let us no more about Brittney. Reality show stars show just enough of their down and dirty side that we think we know them, and soon can’t get enough of them.